A Loss For Words
by A Sparkly Penguin
Summary: Hinomari Kazumi became mute after a car accident in middle school. For years she's been friendless- but this year, everything's going to change. Kazumi is able to make friends and even becomes the manager for the basketball team. But as many joys Kazumi experiences, there are as many obstacles. This is the story of Kazumi's 2nd year at Shutoku. MidorimaXOC
1. His Lucky Item

Kazumi remembered little about the day she had become mute. It was just a flash of light and a sensation of her world becoming silent for a few moments. She vaguely remembered being wheeled off to the surgery room, her arm going numb. This happened in her second year of middle school. She lost a lot of things because of the car accident.

Her mother. Her speaking. Her ability to play basketball- a sport she had loved. Her friends. Her life was quiet, both literally and figuratively. Few people attempted to talk with her. Unintended isolation, she assumed. It was April, so today was the start of a new school year. Maybe life would get better.

Maybe.

* * *

Someone gently shook her shoulder. Kazumi's purple eyes fluttered open as she drowsily awoke. Her father smiled at her, and she noticed how worn out he seemed. He both signed to her and said, "Good morning, Kazumi." Kazumi and her father had learned to sign when she had become mute. Really, she couldn't ask for a better father. Although he didn't need to sign to her since she could hear, he insisted on doing it so he didn't forget.

"Good morning, daddy." Kazumi signed, a smile on her face. The gestures for this phrase was meaningful to her, as he was one of the few that hadn't rejected her. Her father ruffled her hair and left the room, most likely to cook breakfast. Kazumi got out of bed and trudged to the shower. After her shower, she dressed herself and headed to the kitchen.

Walking downstairs, her father had already gone. Probably another urgent call to work. A note was posted on the refrigerator.

 _"Sorry, the company needed me._

 _Have fun with your new classmates, Kazumi._

 _By the way, Pisces (your zodiac sign, in case you forgot) is first today!_

 _Isn't that great?_

 _\- Dad"_

Kazumi smiled while rolling her eyes at her dad's love of horoscopes. She turned to the table, which had a warm plate of toast and eggs. Quietly, she ate her breakfast and put the dishes in the sink. Kazumi walked over to the huge tank that was installed in the wall. It was half filled with water, with little fish swimming in it. There were rock cliffs, colorful aquatic plants and a moss floor that covered half the surface of the water. Her frog, Froggie, hopped around on the moss. She released some live crickets onto the moss and watched happily as the frog chased after them.

After a few minutes, she packed up her bag and left the house. While she was locking the door, she heard arguing and the sound of heavy panting. Curious, she stepped out to see what the cause of the sound was. It was a bizarre sight. A black haired guy was riding a bike- but that wasn't the weird part. A cart was attached to the bike. Inside the cart was a green-haired guy, a person she recognized. Midorima Shintarou. He was famous at her school for being the ace of the basketball team.

"Argh! You jerk, you said we would switch after five minutes," the black-haired guy said, panting. Midorima adjusted his glasses with his taped fingers before he spoke.

"Cancer has the worst luck today, Takao," he simply stated. His friend, Takao didn't seem to be amused by his response.

"Then where's your lucky item for the day?! It should make up for you bad luck, right?!" he said.

"Well, the lucky item was a Pisces. But none of my family members are Pisces." Midorima said, a frown on his face.

"I think the bigger problem is that you considered bringing your family members," Takao told him, exasperated. Kazumi giggled silently as she thought about how coincidental it was for her father and Midorima to have an obsession with horoscopes. Kazumi opened up the Oha Asa app on her phone and started walking. She was startled by how loud her volume had been turned up.

"Congratulations! Pisces has the best luck today! Today, your lucky item is a mirror!" Immediately, she felt the gazes of the two boys on her.

"You." Kazumi froze at the sound of the voice. She turned around and saw Midorima staring at her intently.

"Are you a Pisces?" the green haired boy asked. Kazumi nodded carefully, hoping that this wasn't go the way she thought it would. He couldn't possibly... "Please get in the cart." Kazumi was shocked at how blunt he was. Takao rolled his eyes and smacked Midorima on the head. Midorima glared at Takao, who started lecturing on how little common sense he had.

"Gomen, gomen. You're a Shutoku student, right? Ah... Hinomari-san?" Takao said apologetically, glancing at the name that was written on her bag and her uniform. Kazumi nodded again with a smile. "Well, if you would..."

* * *

Somehow, Kazumi had ended up in the cart. Takao had pleaded her to get in since apparently he didn't want to die on the first day of the school year. Midorima agreed to drive the cart if she rode in it because today he "had" to have his lucky item. So, here she was, sitting in the cart with Takao while he aimlessly chattered.

"Why don't I know you?" Takao asked her. Kazumi looked puzzled and tilted her head in question. What did he mean? Was it because she seemed weird?

"You're a bishoujo, but I've never heard of you," he clarified. Kazumi blushed in embarrassment at the compliment. She shook her head in denial of it. Takao, on the other hand, seemed to have no problem at all at saying it. The black haired boy chuckled at her reaction and continued his talk about how he was excited for the new year and wanted to be in the same class as "Shin-chan." The nickname made Midorima click his tongue loudly in annoyance.

The cart slowly came to a stop as they arrived at Shutoku. People laughed and pointed at the cart, but didn't seem surprised about it. It gave off more of an "Oh look, it's the cart." feeling rather than "That's such a weird cart." Kazumi stood up and stepped out of the cart, stumbling when her foot hit a rock. She bumped into Midorima.

"Be more careful. It's rude to bump into people," he muttered. Kazumi frowned at his harsh comment. It had been an accident, and it wasn't like she could apologize verbally. Oh well, there was no reason to get upset over it. She merely nodded and slightly bowed in thanks.

"Don't scare the poor girl, Shin-chan." Takao said with a yawn. Kazumi exchanged farewells with them, her waving and Takao cheerily sending her off with a "See ya later, Hinomari-san!" She walked over to the notice board, where all the class listings were posted. She scanned the second-year classes for her name. She found it listed under 2-C. She walked to her classroom and gently opened the door. The room was already filled with her soon-to-be classmates, all socializing with each other.

"Uwaaah! Bishoujo!" A voice said from behind her. Kazumi jumped in shock of the unexpected voice. She turned around to see a girl... a really cute one. The girl had short, wavy brown hair and energetic green eyes.

"Hey there!" the girl said, a grin on her face. Kazumi smiled back and waved. The brunette tilted her head at Kazumi, as if she was studying her. "You're a quiet one, aren't you?"

Kazumi nodded and shrugged at the same time. She didn't really remember if she had been talkative before her accident, but she surely wasn't loud after becoming mute. The girl giggled at Kazumi, but Kazumi didn't feel that the girl was making fun of her.

"Well, quiet bishoujo, my name is Haruna!" she announced cheerfully. Haruna looked at her expectantly as if waiting for her own introduction. Kazumi struggled to think of a way to introduce herself. She hadn't expected to tell her name to anybody- she didn't have to last year.

"Oh? Hinomari-san is in our class, Shin-chan!" a familiar voice said. Takao and Midorima had also entered the room, causing Kazumi's classmates to talk excitedly about having the ace of the basketball team in the class. The brunette's eyes widened at his words.

"So your name is Hinomari?" she said to Kazumi, looking satisfied at having found that out. Kazumi nodded in response. She heard Midorima mutter something that sounded like "Man proposes, God disposes." He was a weird one, she thought to herself. As the bell rung, everyone took a random seat. The teacher, who Kazumi recognized to be Tamaki-sensei, walked in. He was a fairly young teacher, with blonde hair and a warm personality. Tamaki had been her history teacher, and one that knew about her condition.

"Alright, don't get too comfortable. We need to assign seats." Tamaki-sensei said, and the class groaned. "Alright, who wants and/or needs to be somewhere? If you can't see well and you need to be in the front, etc."

"Sensei! I want to sit next to Shin-chan, and he wants to sit next to Hinomari-san!" Takao shouted out, causing laughter from the class. Kazumi was puzzled by his words. Another hand shot up.

"I want to sit next to Hinomari-san too, sensei!" Haruna said with a grin. Tamaki-sensei looked mildly surprised and looked at Kazumi, who was frozen with shock. The teacher, however, grinned and nodded.

"You're popular Hinomari-san, aren't you?" he joked. He start assigning seats and had the four of them together. Haruna and Kazumi both sat next to the windows, with Haruna being a seat in front of her. Midorima was across from Kazumi and Takao sat in front of Midorima.

"Aren't you happy, sitting next to Hinomari-san?" Takao teased, and Midorima adjusted his glasses.

"I just need her to be in close proximity of me for today. I need to make up for my bad luck," he stated plainly. Kazumi smiled- she would have never imagined in the morning that she would have 3 people that were willing to interact with someone who didn't talk.

* * *

During gym, after 10 laps, they were allowed to do whatever they wanted as long as it was something "active." Kazumi waved goodbye to Haruna, who had been asked to join a volleyball game. Kazumi walked to an empty basketball hoop and stood a few meters away. She dribbled the ball three times before shooting. Kazumi smiled to herself as she retrieved the ball. Although she wasn't supposed to put a lot of physical strain on her knees by jumping or running excessively, she felt that a few hoops wouldn't hurt her. Standing at half court, she jumped and shot. Kazumi grimaced when she saw that it wouldn't go in.

"Tsk, tsk." Takao said as he ran past her and shot it in after getting the rebound. Midorima walked up next to her and motioned to Takao, who passed to him. In the instant the ball was in his hands, he jumped and shot it in cleanly. What a showoff, Kazumi thought, but she was impressed. Her black haired classmate tossed it underhanded to her. Dribbling the ball a few times, Kazumi bent her knees to shoot but was stopped by Midorima who readjusted her fingers on the ball and her posture.

"Shoot." he commanded. Kazumi listened and shot in that position. She turned to him, beaming. Midorima cleared his throat and shifted his glasses once more. Kazumi found it quite interesting that whenever he touched his glasses it would make a clicky sound.

"Hinomari-san~" Kazumi heard Haruna say. Haruna was sweating, most likely from her volleyball game. With a serious expression, she put a hand on her shoulder. Kazumi tilted her head as if to ask what was wrong. "Can I call you Kazumi-chan?"

Kazumi's eyes widened, and Haruna made an apologetic face. "Sorry... I mean if you don't want to be called that..." Kazumi shook her head furiously and then nodded. She would have never expected to have a nickname. Haruna smiled widely and hugged Kazumi, who smiled back.

"Alright! Then I'll call you Hino-chin! I think Hino-chin is more catchy than Kazu-chin..." Takao said, frowning as if wondering which one to use. Kazumi shrugged but smiled. Midorima merely listened to the duo's energetic chatter, dribbling the ball gently.

* * *

 _Okaa-san in heaven, how are you doing? Today, I met a lot of people. Haruna-chan is a sweet and kawaii girl who's very energetic. Takao-kun's a member of the basketball club and is quite sociable. Midorima-kun is quiet but has his own quirks. They haven't isolated me for not talking... but I wonder if it's because they don't I can't talk at all. Maybe they think that I'm just really quiet._ Kazumi thought as she laid in bed. Getting up, she turned off the light and snuggled into her warm bed. It had been a good day.

* * *

 **A/N:** Should I continue this? Anyhow, thanks for reading! Please follow, favorite and/or review. Arigato!


	2. Awkwardly Adorable

It had been a normal morning, as always. Her father had woken up her affectionately and she had gone about with her normal routine. The only real abnormality was that she had decided to go to school earlier than usual. However, as she left the house she saw something she hadn't expected. Midorima and Takao were squabbling outside her house. When Takao noticed her, he waved with a grin.

"Hino-chan~" he singsonged. Kazumi froze in shock. Why were these two here? She knew that they went on the same route she did, but it seemed they had been... waiting for her? He skipped up to her and pet her head like a dog. Turning to face Midorima, he glared at him and launched into a mini rant about how Midorima had been annoying him. "So, you see Shin-chan is being a stubborn baka and brought a huge mirror that I had to help him put in the cart."

Kazumi nodded as if she understood. She vaguely understood that Midorima's lucky item had been a mirror, and thus, he had brought an extra large one to compensate for any "remaining bad luck" from yesterday's horoscope. Apparently, today hadn't been Cancer's lucky day either.

"Here," Midorima said, placing a glass vase in her hands suddenly. Kazumi looked at it confusedly. He coughed slightly while adjusting his glasses back into place. "It's your lucky item for the day... for yesterday," She tilted her head in question, remembering that her lucky item had been a mirror yesterday. Takao seemed to catch onto her confusion and shook his head.

"Nonono, he doesn't mean your lucky item from yesterday, it's Shin-chan's way of thanking you for being _his_ lucky item yesterday," Takao explained. A flash of recognition appeared in her purple eyes. She bowed her head slightly in thanks and smiled at Midorima, who looked aside. His black-haired friend grinned and elbowed him in the chest, teasing him about being a "tsundere". Kazumi giggled at the scene, but still wondered about something. Why were they here? It probably would have been easier just to give it to her at class.

"We should go, Takao. We have morning practice," he said, heading towards the cart.

"Oh yeah! Good thing you came out in time, Hino-chan. We were planning on leaving the vase outside your door if you hadn't come out." Takao said, nodding in satisfaction. An idea seemed to hit Takao. "You should come with us," Kazumi looked unsurely at the cart, which was probably already very heavy with a large mirror and a high school boy riding in it.

"Oh, don't be polite. Shin-chan has enough stamina to ride us both over there," he said. Midorima clicked his tongue at Takao, a dark aura emitting from him. Ignoring it, Takao pulled her into the cart and off they went.

* * *

"It's a girl! A pretty one!" the Shutoku team exclaimed when Kazumi walked in. She was bewildered by their compliments and she shook her head frantically.

"Return to your practices," Midorima said sternly, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

"Oooh~ So scary~" the team mocked, ruffling his green hair affectionately. Midorima waved their hands away, obviously irritated. They went on their way back to practice while laughing and talking cheerfully. With a wave, Takao left Kazumi and joined the others. Hearing muffled squealing, Kazumi turned around to see a crowd of girls at the entrance of the gymnasium. The Shutoku team was pretty popular, after all- maybe too popular. The girls seemed to be glaring at her for being the only girl inside the gymnasium.

"Girls are so loud," Midorima sounded annoyed as he looked distastefully at the group. Kazumi wasn't sure what to think of this, wondering if it was a sign for her to go away. She shuffled away quietly from him, trying to avoid the stares of the girls who were looking at them. She felt a hand on her wrist, and she turned around to see Midorima who was gripping her wrist. She tilted her head in question.

"Not you," he snapped, releasing his grip. Kazumi felt a bit offended at him getting angry at her for assuming what most people would have. She frowned, but her pout disappeared when she felt the intensity of the girls' gazes rise. Their stares could have burned a hole right through her. Midorima cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "I didn't mean you."

Kazumi was a bit surprised at his apology. Was it an apology? Could it really be considered one? Well, she would accept it anyway. Right now, it was more important for her to get out of the gymnasium ASAP. It seemed she had become the enemy of the huge group of girls cheering for the Shutoku team as they did individual practices.

"Wait till we're done, or you'll get run over by them," he said, nodding at the entrance which was clogged by the girls. The girls all _"Kyaaa!"_ -ed at the sight of the ace nodding at them, which she found a bit ridiculous. Nevertheless, she nodded and sat down on a bench. Watching the team practice different plays, she noticed that Midorima was more comfortable passing to Takao then to any other player. Kazumi had to smile at the friendship the two shared. It was nice having friends... maybe one day she could have a friendship as close as theirs.

"We're done," Takao announced cheerfully as he bounded over to Kazumi. She nodded and rose, picking up her bag and the glass vase. As she walked to the entrance, a familiar face popped out. It was Haruna. The brunette grinned and waved at her before tackling her into a hug. Kazumi received the hug warmly and smiled back at her.

"Quiet as always, Kazumi-chan," Haruna noted, her eyes brightening when she used the new nickname. Locking arms with her, Kazumi's cheerful friend hummed as they walked to class. Midorima and Takao weren't far behind, with Takao grumbling about Midorima dragging the mirror on the floor. Midorima retorted with his usual quote, "Man proposes, God disposes."

"I forgot to ask... but why are you carrying a vase around?" Haruna asked curiously. Kazumi turned her head and nodded in Midorima's direction. Haruna looked surprised but at the same time, she didn't. Did that make sense? The four walked to class in the nick of time, as the bell rung. Tamaki-sensei shook his head at their near-tardiness but smiled. Takao responded with a face of mock fear at the teacher's disapproval, causing the class much laughter. Their laughter only increased when Midorima had asked the teacher for help when the mirror didn't fit through the door because of its width. Tamaki-sensei looked dumbfounded and introduced the concept of "turning the mirror around" so that it would go through.

"Alright, alright settle down. Next time, Midorima, please don't bring such a big mirror to school." Tamaki-sensei said, running a hand through his blonde hair, looking exasperated. Midorima nodded, and Takao looked at him skeptically. The laughter died down as Tamaki-sensei started to teach. The class went on as always until the teacher asked them to form groups of 4 for a mini oral report. Kazumi cringed at the thought of an oral report and remembered last year's shame of ending up with no group-

"C'mon Kazumi-chan! Takao-kun and Midorima-kun says we should do it together," Haruna urged, surprising Kazumi. The blond blinked in amazement a few times before nodding. In a few minutes, Midorima and Takao were arguing over which part of the report they would do with Haruna watching in amusement. Suddenly, Haruna turned to Kazumi. "Ah, Kazumi-chan, you don't need to talk if you don't want to. Sensei only said that everyone has to help write the report." Kazumi smiled gratefully at her friend's concern. Last year, this would have never happened.

A thought struck Kazumi. She should stop comparing last year and this year. Last year and this year were two different years with different people. Kazumi was now determined to enjoy the present, instead of lingering on the past. And so, she turned to the group with a smile on her face as her three new friends discussed peacefully, well attempted to, what they would do for the report.

* * *

"Ne, Hinomari-san, could you give this to Tamaki-sensei?" Kazumi turned to see three girls, who were smiling at her. With no time to respond, the girls had already piled up books in her arms. The trio walked away, giggling to themselves. Well, wasn't that rude. She wondered if she was being bullied but brushed the thought aside. It wouldn't hurt to stay in school a few minutes longer to drop off some books. Haruna had rushed to cram school as soon as school ended. Midorima and Takao had basketball practice as always. Kazumi, on the other hand, had only planned on returning a library book before leaving but hadn't expected to encounter the three girls.

"Arigato, Hinomari-san. But, why are you giving me the books for 2-D?" Tamaki-sensei said in a confused tone when she had placed the books on his desk. She merely shrugged and walked away. It would take too much effort to try to explain. After all, it wasn't like she could tell him. Opening the classroom door, she walked over to her desk and found that her bag and vase had disappeared. Ah, so she was getting bullied. She had never been bullied before- just unintentionally isolated.

"Ew, what is this? A vase?" a girl's voice said, shrieking with laughter. Kazumi turned to the entrance of the classroom to see the 3 girls she had met before standing there.

"You're such a _slut_ , Hinomari-san." The tallest of the three girls said as they walked towards her. The other two nodded in agreement. Kazumi stood still, wishing that they'd finish talking fast. She'd stay emotionless and they'd get bored fast- well, hopefully.

"I know right?! Like, totally." A girl with dyed blonde hair said, who was holding the vase.

"You're fucking around with both our precious Midorima and Takao," another girl added, swinging around Kazumi's bag.

"You have nothing to say, eh?" the tall one asked, grinning creepily. Kazumi rolled her eyes at her, but froze when she remembered that she was going to stay emotionless. It didn't really matter much at this point anyway. At her reaction, the trio seemed to smirk. "Since she already has a vase, why don't we give this _lovely_ flower some water?"

In less than a second after her words, Kazumi felt water being poured on her. She coughed, her eyes becoming blurry as water clouded her vision. She heard it before she felt it, but the sound of glass resonated throughout the room. Feeling shards of the glass hit her, she cringed. A thump told her that her bag had been thrown onto the ground. The three girls rushed away from the site, while Kazumi tried to cough out the water. Hearing footsteps, she wondered if the girls had come back.

"Hino-chan...?!" she vaguely realized that it was Takao's voice. Kazumi heard what seemed to be Midorima muttering, and the sound of shoes squeaking as someone ran down the hallway.

"Get out of the room, idiot." someone pulled her hand, firmly but gently. Kazumi realized it was Midorima, as she rubbed the water out of her eyes. Squeezing the water out of her hair, she attempted smiling at Midorima in thanks. His expression soured. "What are you grinning like an idiot for?" Kazumi feebly shrugged, tying her hair into a ponytail, straightening out her uniform, wiping away the blood- anything to keep her mind occupied from what had happened just now. Even with all these distractions, she could feel herself trembling.

"Oha Asa says that if a Pisces breaks their lucky item..." Midorima started to say. Was this really the time for horoscopes? She was about to break down, and yet he was still rambling about Oha Asa. Kazumi felt a hand on her hand, gently patting her. She looked up at Midorima, who cleared his throat and quietly spoke. "...the Pisces should cry in front of a Cancer."

With his words, she felt a warm yet an oddly heartbreaking feeling inside of her. Taking a step towards him, she buried her face into his shirt as tears streamed down her face. Kazumi didn't want him to see her cry- he might find her disgusting. But even as she thought this, she knew he wouldn't. That was the kind of person he was. Cold but gentle. Despite her tears, she wanted to giggle a little. Not only did this show he really was a tsundere, as Takao said, Midorima had very awkwardly placed his other arm around her in a weird hug.

 **Omake-**

 _Neither Kazumi nor Midorima knew that Takao was rapidly taking pictures of their awkwardly adorable hug. He had caught the three girls quickly, since they had resumed to a slow walk after rushing away. Takao had sent the trio to Tamaki-sensei, who then understood why Kazumi had brought the books earlier that afternoon. Haruna, on the other hand, had no idea of what was currently going on since she was stuck in cram school._

* * *

 **A/N:** Hope you enjoyed the chapter and the omake! Hehehe~ Thanks to Sylver Tyz and charrmingchrissy1 for reviewing!


	3. Mixed Feelings

Kazumi sat in front of a mirror, curling her hair as she smiled happily. Haruna had invited her to watch a movie with her, and somehow Takao and Midorima had decided that they would come with them. Kazumi didn't really mind, but her friend had recently been muttering darkly about how "all boys were wolves" the day after Kazumi's incident. The three girls had apologized to her, although she didn't know how sincere they were, but in the end everything had turned out alright. Tying her hair into a low side ponytail, she smoothed out her light blue dress and adjusted the white cardigan that she had wore over it.

"You look pretty," her father commented as he walked into her room. He picked up the pink shoulder bag that was on her desk and handed it to her. Kazumi beamed at the praise, although she knew probably any father would say the same about their daughter. Hearing the doorbell ring, her eyes lit up. "Ah, I'm going to the hospital today so I might not be home until later." Kazumi nodded and bounded down the staircase and opened the door.

"Kazumi-chan! You look so cute!" Haruna squealed as she latched onto Kazumi and hugged her tight. Kazumi smiled and hugged her back, and turned her head when she heard the footsteps of her father.

"Please take care of Kazumi, she can be quite clumsy," her father said with a smile. Haruna gave him an "OK" sign. Kazumi sighed at how much of a worrywart her father was. Haruna took a few steps away and Kazumi thought that her friend looked extra cute today. The brunette's hair was in a casual side bun and was wearing a green blouse over jeans. The look was complete with some boots and a white tote bag.

"Ohayo Hino-chan! Oh, is this your father?" Kazumi heard Takao shout as he skipped over to them. Haruna was heard clicking her tongue with a gloomy facial expression. Midorima was seen a few meters away, standing next to the cart. He bowed his head to her father who waved at him.

"Well, have a good time," Kazumi's father told them, earning a loud chorus of "Yes!" from Takao and Haruna.

"Shin-chan, isn't Hino-chan cute?" Takao asked as he skipped back to his green-haired friend. Haruna hugged Kazumi fiercely and glared at Midorima, emitting dark waves. Kazumi met his eyes for a moment before Midorima looked away. He cleared his throat and shifted his glasses, as he always did. Takao smirked and singsonged the ever so familiar, _"Shin-chan~~"_

* * *

( **A/N:** The rest of this chapter will be narrated by Midorima. ^^ I'll occasionally write in his POV so that you guys can get some snapshots of what he's thinking)

"Die." Midorima said, glaring at Takao who was smirking at him in a superior manner. He glanced back at Kazumi, who tilted her head in question. He hadn't expected her to dress up so much... but it wasn't that she didn't suit her clothes. He had stuck to a simple outfit which was a white shirt and jeans. Of course, he had also brought along his lucky item of the day, a horse statue. For some reason, he had felt violent waves coming from Haruna for the past few days. Well, she was a Leo, so that was probably why. Cancers had bad compatibility with Leos.

"C'mon in, ladies! Shin-chan will bike us there," Takao announced. He clicked his tongue, wondering when he had ever agreed to that. Takao seemed to notice his glare and put a hand on Midorima's shoulder with a wide grin on his face. "You wouldn't make these poor girls drag us there, would you?" Kazumi walked towards Midorima and tugged his shirt sleeve lightly. He looked down at her and raised his eyebrows. The silver-haired girl pointed to the side of the house. She walked over and came back out with two bikes.

"That's great!" Haruna said cheerfully. She skipped over to Kazumi and ruffled her hair. "Kazumi-chan and I can ride these bikes, and you two can... do whatever."

"So mean," Takao pouted. Midorima rolled his eyes and checked his phone. It read 10:28.

"Let's go, the movie starts at 11 and it'll take about 20 minutes to get there," he told them, turning his phone back off again and putting it in his back pocket. Once again, Kazumi came up to him and tugged his shirt sleeve. He glanced at her, and she pointed at his phone and then to her bag. Was she offering to carry his phone for her? Reluctantly, he gave it to her and she beamed as she put it in her bag. Feeling his ears go warm from the sight of her smile, he turned away and shifted his glasses out of habit.

"Shin-chan! Let's go!" Takao called. Midorima turned to see Takao comfortably sitting in the cart, waving at him. Haruna dragged Kazumi over to her side and the two got onto their bikes. With a sigh, he walked over to the bike, sat down, and started pedaling.

* * *

"I'm gonna sit next to Kazumi-chan~" Haruna singsonged as the four entered the movie theater. Haruna had a mountain of snacks, topped off with a huge container of popcorn. Midorima had opted to get a small soda and a small bag of popcorn. Takao had loaded up on jellies and candy while Kazumi had simply gotten a bag of popcorn and juice. The four sat in the following order; Haruna, Kazumi, Midorima, and Takao. What movie was he watching again? He didn't really remember. Somehow, he had just ended up coming to the movies with them.

"You want some?" Takao offered, showing a pack of sour jellies to Midorima. Midorima shook his head, causing Takao to mutter something along the lines of "he doesn't know what he's missing out on." As soon as the movie started, there was some unintentional conflict and awkwardness. He and Kazumi had both tried to rest their arm on the armrest and had missed the timing to move their arms. On the other hand, Takao was attempting to push Midorima's arm off the armrest. Haruna, oblivious to all of this, continued eating her snacks at an incredibly frightening pace.

Moving his fingertips just the slightest, they brushed against Kazumi's. He glanced at her to see an unmistakable blush on her pale cheeks. He didn't really know why, but there was a strange stirring feeling in his chest. Maybe today, Cancer and Pisces didn't have the best compatibility.

"Ne~ Shin-chan." Takao complained, leaning his head against Midorima's shoulder. He shrugged him off and used this moment to remove his arm from the armrest. Takao cuddled up to Midorima, holding his arm. He clicked his tongue as his friend grinned at him. Midorima felt a tug on his shirt and turned to Kazumi, who gestured to something in her hand. Squinting because of the lack of light, Midorima realized it was his phone. Someone had called him. He took the phone from her hand and stood up. "Where ya going?" Takao asked.

"I need to get a call," he responded. Walking outside, he realized that the number was his mother's. He put the green phone up to his ear as he called her back. "Hello?"

"Shintarou! Your sister's at the hospital." His eyes widened at his mother's words. His sister, Mei, was 10 years younger than him, and was one of the few he held dear. Silently, he listened to his mother tell him the location of the hospital. As soon as he hung up, he started running. The hospital was only a few blocks away. As he waited for the crosswalk to switch signals, he texted Takao.

 _From: Midorima Shintarou_

 _To: Takao Kazunari_

 _Subject: Read the whole message before you doing something stupid, baka._

 _My sister got into an accident, so I'm going to go visit her right now._

 _She's at XX hospital, a few blocks away._

 _Finish the movie first._

* * *

"Ah! Shintarou-niichan came!" his five-year old sister squealed in delight. Panting, Midorima had ran as fast as he could to the hospital. However, to his surprise, his imouto looked perfectly fine. The little green-haired girl jumped out of the bed and toddled up to him. He picked her up and looked around for his mother.

"What happened, Mei?" he asked her, adjusting his hold on her. She giggled as she held a stuffed frog toy. "Bike went boom! Ouchie." Her green eyes glittered as she excitedly pointed to stitches on her arm. It didn't look very serious, but he didn't know much about sickness or injuries were dealt with- besides his experience with Kuroko's puking.

"Ah, you're here Shintarou." his mother appeared in the doorway, rummaging through her bag. She looked totally calm and walked up to him and pinched both his and his sister's cheeks. "It seems that Mei was walking on the sidewalk, a little too close to the bike lane. A 13 year old boy accidentally crashed into her and she got a cut on her arm. It was all just an accident, so I told him to go home. Poor thing, he was bawling his eyes out and apologizing every second for crashing into her. Well, he was smart to get her to a hospital,"

"Yep! Stranger-niichan went boom with bike! Ouchie! But sensei sewed me up and gave me a candy!" his sister giggled as if nothing happened. Midorima was dumbfounded by the relaxed atmosphere of his family members.

"So why'd you call me here?" he asked with a sigh.

"Ah, I have to go back to work so I was going to ask you to take care of her. You can bring your friends to the house," his mom told him, taking out her mirror and inspecting herself. Midorima's mother was a designer for luxury brands- even though he found the price of the clothes laughable. Patting his sister on the head, his mother waved to him as she left.

"Stay here for a few minutes, alright? I'm going to get a cup of wa-"

"Is Midorima Mei here?" a woman asked as she entered the room. She was wearing a nurse's uniform, and had a cheerful smile on her face. Mei's eyes lit up as she wiggled out of Midorima's arms and to the woman. "Ara, ara. You must be Shintarou. Your mother arranged for Mei-chan to take her regular checkup now, rather than next month."

"I see. Mei, I'll come back after I get some water," Midorima told his sister, ruffling her hair. Mei grinned at him and waved as he walked out of the room. Midorima had seen the nurse quite a few times before but he had never gotten around to learning her name. Walking down the hallway, he poured a cup of water for himself and noticed someone familiar. It was a black-haired man... Kazumi's father? Tall and fairly good-looking, he stood out quite a bit. Walking with a person who seemed to be a doctor, they entered the room a few doors away from the water dispenser.

"...confirmed, she has selective mutism," the doctor said as Midorima started walking. Selective mutism? Well... this could be about anyone... maybe Kazumi's father was related to a mute patient? But... now that he thought about it, he had never heard Kazumi speak. He had assumed she was just very shy.

"If it's selective, doesn't that usually mean she can speak around people's she's comfortable with? Kazumi hasn't once spoken to me after that." he froze at the sound of Kazumi's father's voice. So... it was about Kazumi.

"Well, selective mutism means that she has the ability to speak, so there are no physical problems. But, there's probably some kind of mental barrier keeping her from speaking. For most people that are selectively mute, it's social anxiety. We could stimulate her brain physically to speak, but it may cause trauma. And rather, I think that the trauma is actually what's stopping her from speaki-" Midorima continued walking. It wasn't good to eavesdrop, he knew. He felt that he had heard enough already.

Nodding to the nurse, he sat in the room as his sister was weighed and checked. She giggled as her blood pressure was taken, and absentmindedly played with her toy. Midorima, on the other hand, was in a slight daze.

"Onii-chan! I'm done!" Blinking, he looked down to see his sister had gotten onto his lap. He didn't remember her climbing up, but his mind had been preoccupied with everything he had heard. As he stood up, there was a knock on the door.

"Shin-chan, we're here! Oh, it's Mei-chan!" Takao waltzed into the room and lifted up Mei from Midorima's arms. Really, everyone was taking his little sister away from him. As if noticing his distaste, Takao smirked at him. "You poor siscon, Shin-chan. Mei-chan, you love me, right?"

"Yeash! I love you lots, Takao-niichan!" Mei raised her arms to show how much she "loved" Takao. Takao cuddled up to Mei, earning a smack on the head from Midorima. Really, his sister had warmed up to Takao quickly- too quickly for his taste. Hearing muffled laughter, Haruna and Kazumi entered the room. Haruna was shaking with laughter at the conversation while Kazumi smiled in amusement. "Eh? Who are these nee-chans?"

"What an adorable sister!" Haruna exclaimed as she walked up to Takao. Leaning closer to Mei, they bumped noses and laughed. Taking Mei from Takao's arms, she walked over to Kazumi, who cautiously extended her hand towards Mei. Mei grabbed Kazumi's finger and grinned, causing Kazumi to smile as well.

* * *

"I always thought that Midorima-kun was from a well-off family. He seemed like that type." Haruna noted as the four of them stood outside his house. They had left the hospital when the nurse had reminded him that Mei was supposed to be brought home for her usual nap. Yawning, Mei snuggled with her frog toy in Midorima's arms. He tossed the key to Takao, who opened the door.

"Pardon the intrusion!" Takao and Haruna cheerfully said, with Kazumi bowing her head slightly towards Midorima. Again, she hadn't spoken. More and more signs of her muteness had been catching his attention. He made Mei wash her hands before making her change into her "home clothes." She fell asleep almost immediately after she had climbed into her futon.

"What time is it?" Midorima asked as he poked his head into the living room. For some reason, the three were using the kotatsu- he hadn't stored it away yet.

"It's noon," Haruna informed him, checking her phone for the time. Kazumi seemed to remember something and opened her shoulder bag. She started to stand up when Haruna pulled her back down. Taking the phone that was in Kazumi's hand, Haruna tossed it to Midorima. "Much faster." Haruna said, satisfied.

"Should I cook something?" Midorima asked.

"No! Don't. P-please." Takao said, stuttering heavily. He looked very frightened, which irked Midorima. His cooking wasn't _that_ ba- "When Midorima tried to make an onigri, I got food poisoning."

"...is there anyone else who can cook? Takao can't cook either..." Midorima said, remembering Takao's incompetence at using a knife during the training camp.

"Gomen, but the last time I tried to cook, well, part of my house caught on fire." Haruna said with a smile. How terrifying. Someone who was worse than him at cooking. At least he hadn't set anything aflame... besides his apron. Kazumi raised her hand timidly, earning loud gasps from Takao and Haruna.

"She can cook! A yamato nadeshiko! Pretty, kind and can cook!" Takao shouted. Midorima hit him on the back, reminding him that his sister was sleeping. Takao pouted at him. Kazumi got up quietly and tugged on Midorima's sleeve and tilted her head questioningly. Again, no words were spoken. Midorima put aside that thought for now and showed her to the kitchen after turning on the TV and telling the other two to watch quietly.

"What are you going to make?" he asked, leaning on the wall. Tapping her finger against her chin, an idea seemed to hit her and she took out her phone. After searching something up, she showed Midorima pictures. "Omurice?" Kazumi nodded happily. She washed some rice and put it in the rice cooker. After looking through his refrigerator, she took out some vegetables and eggs. Taking a knife, she started to slice it quickly.

 **"!"** Kazumi dropped the knife when the knife had cut her thumb. Kazumi grimaced at the sight of blood.

"What are you doing, you baka." He took her hand and licked the cut. The blood tasted bitter and metallic- like how blood usually tasted. Kazumi jerked her hand away from him suddenly. Midorima looked up to see her face flushed with embarrassment. Again, he felt a weird stirring feeling in his chest. "Kazumi..." The purple-eyed girl looked up, her cheeks still red.

"Are you...mute?"

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm sorry if Midorima was a bit OOC in this chapter, but please think of it as him acting differently around his friends. What did you think of Midorima's little sister? Please review and tell me if you'd like to see his perspective more often, or if you'd like to see other character's perspectives. Arigato for reading!


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